Dave Seville

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Alvin and the Chipmunks is a six-time Grammy Award-winning animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual; and Theodore, the chubby, impressionable sweetheart. The trio is managed by their human father and confidant, David Seville. In reality, David Seville was Bagdasarian's stage name, and the Chipmunks themselves are named after the executives of their original record label, Liberty Records: Alvin Bennett (the president), Simon Waronker (the founder and owner), and Theodore Keep (the chief engineer).

The Chipmunks act began with recordings first brought to life in Bagdasarian's 1950s novelty recordings under the name David Seville and the Chipmunks. For stage purposes, such as during an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Bagdasarian lip-synched the words of "David Seville" in front of a small puppet theater, with puppets of the three Chipmunks also lip-synching. The puppets looked similar to the Chipmunk illustrations on the covers of some of the group's 45 RPM records. The characters were an unprecedented success, and the singing Chipmunks and their manager were given life in several animated cartoon series, using redrawn, anthropomorphic chipmunks, and eventually motion pictures.

History

"The Witch Doctor"

In early 1958, Bagdasarian released a novelty song, as David Seville, about being unlucky at love until he found a Witch Doctor who told him "What To Do" to woo his woman. The entire song was done by Bagdasarian in his normal voice, except for the "magic" words, done first in Bagdasarian's pitched-up, pre-Chipmunk voice, then in a duet between his pitched-up voice and his normal voice. The words, of course, are nonsense: "Oo-ee, oo-ah-ah, ting-tang, walla-walla, bing-bang." The "Walla Walla" part of the song was just thrown in as a reference to Ross Bagdasarian's uncle who lived in Walla Walla, Washington.
The song was a major hit, sitting at Number 1 in the Billboard Top 100, a predecessor to the Billboard Hot 100 chart which would be introduced that August, for three weeks during the spring, and the Witch Doctor's "magic words" were being sung by kids everywhere. Although nothing in the song makes any reference to chipmunks, the song is now sometimes included on Chipmunk compilations, as if the Chipmunks themselves had provided the voice of the Witch Doctor (Bagdasarian did record a "Chipmunks" version of "Witch Doctor," which appeared on the second Chipmunks album, Sing Again with The Chipmunks, in 1960). In 1999, the song was covered by a band called The Cartoons. A followup song was recorded, but instead of Seville singing the song, it was sung by Jiles Perry Richardson. The song "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor" was released as the B-side of "Chantilly Lace." Chipmunk-like voices sing backup for the Bopper.

"The Chipmunk Song"

The Chipmunks first officially appeared on the scene in a novelty record released in late fall 1958 by Bagdasarian. The song, originally listed on the record label (Liberty F-55168) as "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," featured the singing skills of the chipmunk trio. One phrase in the chorus has Alvin wishing for a hula hoop, which was that year's hot new toy. The novelty record was highly successful, selling more than 4 million copies in seven weeks, and it launched the careers of its chipmunk stars. It spent four weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from December 22, 1958 to January 12, 1959. It also earned three Grammy Awards and a nomination for Record of the Year. At the height of its popularity, Bagdasarian and three chipmunk hand-puppets appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, lip-synching the song. "The Chipmunk Song" appeared on the Chipmunks' debut album, Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks, in 1959, and was repeated on Christmas with the Chipmunks, released in 1962. The song also has been included on several compilation albums.

The Alvin Show (1961-1962)

The first television series to feature the characters was The Alvin Show. The cartoon gave more distinctive looks and personalities to the three chipmunks than just their voices, and an animated portrayal of Seville was a reasonable caricature of Bagdasarian himself. The series ran from 1961 to 1962, and was one of a small number of animated series to be shown in prime time on CBS. Unfortunately, it was never an immediate success in prime time and was cancelled after one season, only to find new life in syndication.

In addition to Alvin cartoons, the series also featured the scientist Clyde Crashcup and his assistant Leonardo. Those characters did not feature prominently on any of the later series'. Crashcup made a single cameo appearance in A Chipmunk Christmas, and in an episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

The first television series was produced by Format Films for Bagdasarian Film Corporation. Although the series was broadcast in black and white, it was produced and later re-run in color. 26 episodes each were produced for the Alvin and the Chipmunks and Clyde Crashcup segments, along with 52 musical segments.

A Chipmunk Christmas (1981)

The final Chipmunks album in their original incarnation, The Chipmunks Go to the Movies, was released in 1969. After the death of Ross Bagdasarian in 1972 from a heart attack, the Chipmunks' careers stalled until NBC showed interest in the original show (the network carried Saturday morning reruns of The Alvin Show as a midseason replacement in 1979) and the following year, Excelsior Records released a new album of contemporary songs performed by the Chipmunks. The new album — Chipmunk Punk — featured Bagdasarian's son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., doing the voices of the characters. That album and the continued reruns of the series proved to be popular enough to warrant further new records as well as a new television production, and in 1981, the Chipmunks and Seville returned to television in the Christmas special A Chipmunk Christmas, produced by Chuck Jones, which was first broadcast on NBC on December 14 of that year.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983-1990)

In 1983, the second animated television series, produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, was released. Titled simply Alvin and the Chipmunks, the outline of the show closely paralleled the original Alvin Show. A more sustained success than the original, the series lasted eight production seasons, until 1990. In the first season, the show introduced the Chipettes, three female versions of the Chipmunks — Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor, who each paralleled the original Chipmunks in personality (except Brittany was vainer than Alvin, Jeanette was smart like Simon, and Eleanor was fond of food like Theodore), with their own human guardian, the myopic Miss Beatrice Miller (who arrived for the 1986 season). The Chipmunks even sang a variation of NBC's Let's All Be There campaign for its Saturday-morning lineup in 1984. After 1988, the show was renamed just The Chipmunks to indicate that there were now two groups of them. Also introduced was the boys' "Uncle" Harry, who may or may not have actually been a relative. The show reflected current trends and historical events in pop culture; the Chipmunks sang recent hits, and wore contemporary clothing. One "documentary" episode spoofedJohn Lennon's 1966 infamous comment that The Beatles had become "more popular than Jesus", by recalling how the Chipmunks had fallen in popularity after Alvin boasted they were "bigger than Mickey Mouse!"

In 1990, a documentary was produced about the show entitled Alvin and the Chipmunks/Five Decades with the Chipmunks. In that year, the Chipmunks also teamed up for the first and only time with other contemporary cartoons (such as Bugs Bunny, Garfield, etc.) for the drug abuse-prevention special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

Direct-to-video Chipmunks movies from Universal

In 1996, the rights to the characters were purchased by Universal Studios. This resulted in The Chipmunks' 1999 reappearance in the form of the direct-to-video movie Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein. The movie was successful enough to spark interest in a sequel, and in 2000, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman appeared. Both movies featured the original cast of the second series reprising their roles and the tone of the movies are very similar to the series. These film titles reflect earlier horror spoofs by Abbott and Costello.

Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks

A live-action movie called Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was released on April 27, 2004 (April 24, 2005 according IMDb). It features puppetry used for the Chipmunks and Chipettes. In this movie, when Dave (Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.) goes out of town, he leaves the young Chipmunks and the Chipettes in the care of Lalu (Janice Karman), a friend who is happy to have six pre-schoolers stay with her. Lalu lives in a magic cottage with Gilda (a talking cockatoo), and PC (a talking frog who believes he is one kiss away from being Prince charming). There are also Sam and Lou, two gophers who report to the viewers about the feelings the characters are experiencing. While at Lalu's, the kids learn and sing about separation, jealousy, telling the truth, sharing, and other life lessons. Theodore learns about telling the truth, and not to put things into the toilet; Alvin learns about helping Eleanor (the infant); and Jeanette learns that she cannot "borrow" Brittany's lipstick. The direct to video feature was directed and co-written by Jerry Rees, who also animated all the CGI effects and voiced two characters. The budget for the project was unusually low, at $600,000. It was also the first and only live-action appearances of Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman, respectively.

Imitations

While the series was being prepared for broadcast, an imitation, The Nutty Squirrels, beat them to the market, but was less successful, despite catchy scat singing. Also, many people think that Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers are a "cheap imitation" of the Chipmunks. This, however, is incorrect, as Chip and Dale first appeared in the Disney cartoon Private Pluto in 1943, more than a decade before the creation of the Chipmunks--however, the cartoon series Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, the first appearance of them with different personalities and first appearance of them wearing clothes was created in 1989, well after the debut of Alvin and the Chipmunks in the fifties. Other than anthropomorphic chipmunks as main characters, the two franchises have little in common, other than the fact that Chip and Dale have squeaky voices created by the speeding up of records to 45 (or sometimes, but very rarely, 78) RPM. The mice in the Universal Pictureslive-action film Babe also have squeaky voices..

Characters

Alvin Seville

Alvin is a roller coaster. His enthusiasm is boundless and his despair bottomless. The term look before you leap definitely doesn't apply to Alvin, who is impulsive, charming, musical and full of animal magnetism. Alvin always makes up hare-brained schemes to get what his goal at the time is, whether it be trying to help his brothers, or keeping Dave from figuring something out. However, Alvin seems to refer to his often illogical or crazy plans as "challenging the ordinary". Alvin's signature color is red, and he has brown eyes in the live action film (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and blue eyes in the series. He plays the guitar, piano and harmonica. Alvin holds the place as the leader of the chipmunk trio. He and Brittany Miller of The Chipettes have a love-hate relationship. According to "A Chat With Alvin", he cannot pronounce Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.'s last name correctly, which, at the end of the track, gets him yelled at by Ross, Jr. In the 2007 version of Alvin and the Chipmunks, he is voiced by Justin Long. In the movie he describes himself upon meeting Dave as 'the awesomest one'.

Simon Seville

In addition to having an IQ just north of Einstein, Simon possesses a very dry sense of humor as well as a keen wit. Alvin exploits Simon's master mind for his crazy schemes because he is smart enough to carry them out. In the end, Simon loves Alvin, although he secretly worries that they share the same gene pool. His signature color is blue, and he has blue-gray eyes and black glasses; his glasses had blue frames after the 1983 television series' second season up until the show's final season, and in The Chipmunk Adventure. He also has brown fur in the film. He plays the bass, bass clarinet, saxophone, bagpipes, tuba, drums, and is shown playing the keyboard in the original open for the 1980s series.. He was also shown playing guitar in a 1980s Hardee's commercial. Simon and Jeanette Miller of The Chipettes are very shy about their romantic relationship, but it's obvious he cares for her. In the 2007 version of Alvin and the Chipmunks, he is voiced by Matthew Gray Gubler and given his glasses by Dave, who takes them from a Santa doll.

Theodore Seville

Theodore is the child of innocence. He is shy, loving, sensitive, gullible, trusting, naive and cute. In short, he is an easy target for Alvin's manipulations. In fact, Theodore often holds the swing vote between his two brothers' choices of action. Simon appeals to Theodore's better nature while Alvin goes straight to bribery. He is constantly craving snacks and in one episode, tried to eat Alvin's hand because of his hunger. Theodore's signature color is green, and has the same color eyes. He also has blonde/tan fur in the film. He plays the drums. He is the baby of the group. He and Eleanor Miller of The Chipettes are the most open about their romantic relationship. In the 2007 version of Alvin and the Chipmunks, he is voiced by Jesse McCartney.

David "Dave" Seville

David Seville, or "Dave" to his friends and the boys, has his patience tested on a daily basis. Not only does he juggle his professional life as the songwriter for the musical trio, but he's also the Chipmunks' adoptive father and confidant. While Dave struggles to remain calm and objective, Alvin often pushes him over the edge, resulting in Dave's famous yell, "AAAALLLLVVVVIIIINNNN!!!!!!" to which Alvin often replies with a loud "OK!!" Dave plays piano and the guitar. In the 2007 version of Alvin and the Chipmunks, he is played by Jason Lee.

The Chipmunks' female counterparts, first introduced in the 1980s animated series. Sometimes dating, and competing with the Chipmunks.

Miss Miller

First appeared on the 1980s series. The Chipmunks' baby sitter who looks after them when Dave goes to work. Later becomes the legal guardian of the Chipettes. She was voiced by the late Dody Goodman.

Claire Wilson

Claire is Dave's ex-girlfriend who adores the Chipmunks after she finally gets to meet them. She becomes good friends with Dave again by the end of the movie. She appears in the 2007Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. She is played by Cameron Richardson.

Ian Hawke

The main antagonist of the 2007Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. He was Dave's college roommate and the CEO of Jett Records. The Chipmunks sneaked off to his mansion to audition. He rockets them to the top of music business but secretly wants to lure them away from Dave for his own profit. His plan ultimately fails, as the Chipmunks have escaped him, thus leaving him broke and out of a job. He is played by comedian David Cross.

Recording technique

The Chipmunks' voices were recorded onto audiotape by voice talent talking or singing at half the normal speed. When the tape was played back at double speed, they would sound a full octave higher in pitch, at normal tempo. The technique was by no means new to the Chipmunks. For example, the high and low pitched characters in The Wizard of Oz were achieved by speeding up and slowing down vocal recordings. And Mel Blanc's voice characterization for Daffy Duck was sped up to some extent. Now the same effect can be created digitally and in real time.

However, the extensive use of this technique with the Chipmunks, coupled with their popularity, linked this technique to them. The term "chipmunk-voiced" has entered the American vernacular to describe any artificially high-pitched voice. A similar effect could be obtained in playback by merely taking an LP recorded at 33 1/3 RPM and playing it back at 45 or 78 RPM, a trick sometimes tried out by ordinary record listeners just for laughs. The instrumental portions of the song are sped up as well, however, making it obvious that the music is being played at the wrong speed (Bagdasarian recorded vocals and music at different speeds to combine properly on his recording). Also, doing so might damage the record being played.

In the early 90's rave scene, many breakbeat hardcore productions would utilize the same studio tricks, often taking acappellas from old soul and house records and speeding them up to fit the faster tempo. Vocals in songs that used this method would typically be referred to as "chipmunk vocals".

Guest appearance

The Chipmunks make a guest appearance on the Canned Heat song "The Chipmunk Song" (which is not the same song as the 1958 hit) that appeared on their Christmas single.

1985, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Animated Program (Daytime)."

1987, the second television series was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the category "Exceptional Family Animation Series or Specials."

1987, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Animated Program (Daytime)."

1988, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Animated Program (Daytime)* 1988, was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the category "Best Motion Picture - Animation" for the movie The Chipmunk Adventure.